When you were 14, you may have thought that once the puberty phase ended, you skin would clear up and be pimple-free. Now that you know that the road to clear skin is indefinitely long, it’s time to set some rules.
Skincare, as you may have learned, isn’t subjective for every person – while each of us may require different ingredients, the makings of a healthy skincare routine are the same. But for a lot of people, this isn’t enough – there’s always a need to do more. Hence, they turn to skincare tips and hacks on the internet.
These can be dangerous since the advice doesn’t come from actual cosmetologists, dermatologists, or estheticians. A temporary fix or hack can end up irritating your skin which takes days or even weeks to repair. We’ll go over some of the worst skincare tips on the internet that you shouldn’t try.
‘Exfoliation Gets Rid Of Acne’
We’ve always highlighted the importance of proper exfoliating in a healthy skincare routine, but getting rid of acne using abrasive skin will only make matters worse. It can lead to tears in the skin surface that will take ages to repair.
Let’s clear up on thing right away: acne won’t go away overnight, so stop it with the abrasive scrubs. Your best approach is to use a chemical exfoliator that contains AHA and BHA. Remember, consistency and patience is the key if you want to improve your skin.
‘Only Apply SPF When It’s Sunny’
UVB radiation is the biggest reason for signs of aging on the skin, which makes SPF a critical component of any skincare routine. But there are myths going around that you needn’t wear it if it isn’t sunny – these are false, because it doesn’t need to be sunny for UVB rays to reach your skin.
The general rule of thumb should be that you apply SPF whenever you’re going out for the day. If you’re staying outdoors, reapply it every two hours or so and opt for a full-spectrum sunscreen. It’s even better to wear protective clothing and to stay indoors during the sunniest times of the day.
‘Toothpaste Treats Acne Spots And Scars’
The inaccurate rumor that toothpaste is effective for shrinking a pimple probably stems from the fact that it contains common drying agents such as alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda. Sure, these can dry up a spot, but the formula can be too powerful and end up aggravating the condition.
Instead, choose a specific spot treatment that contains ingredients like salicylic acid or benzyl peroxide. A spot treatment made for acne spots will gently strip excess oil from your skin without making it feel too dry. Sure, it doesn’t work like magic and will take a few days to work, but no skincare tip works instantly so if you come across one that seems so, it probably isn’t safe.
‘Apply Pure Lemon Juice To Clear Your Skin’
On the internet, you’ll see a variety of ‘hack’ videos tout the benefits of pure lemon juice and how it can magically brighten and clear up your skin. This skincare tip may have originated with good intentions, because of lemon juice’s vitamin C content and bleaching properties.
However, it’s highly acidic, so applying it to the skin can throw its pH out of whack. When this happens, your skin is highly irritated and sensitive, making it prone to breakouts and acne. Want to get the brightening effects of vitamin C? Using a brightening vitamin C cleanser and serum is a much safer and healthier option because it’s specifically devised to improve your skin.
‘Oily Skin Doesn’t Need Moisturizer’
Although this rumor doesn’t come from any skincare hack, it’s still a preconceived notion in the minds of many people dealing with acne trouble. People with oily skin may feel like their skin is oily enough and doesn’t require moisturizer. To make matters worse, they may apply harmful products that end up drying the skin even further.
All skin types, regardless of how oily yours is, require moisturizer. Drying it out using soaps and alcohol-based products can dry it further, which causes the skin to release more oil. Skincare for oily skin requires that you cleanse the skin of comedogenic oils that clog pores and apply a lightweight moisturizer that lets your skin breathe. When your skin is properly moisturized, it reduces the need to release extra oil from the glands, which would end up clogging pores and causing a breakout.
‘Only Use Natural Ingredients On Your Skin’
You may have heard your nature-loving friends tell you that you have no idea what could possibly be in your skincare products, and that natural alternatives are a much better solution. On the contrary, natural ingredients can be much less predictable when compared to formulas that are calculated and developed in the lab.
Sure, natural ingredients are wholesome but you have to be much more careful when using them, since Mother Nature didn’t develop them as a solution to your specific skincare woes. Using natural ingredients in their pure forms can worsen conditions, such as in the case of tea tree oil.
‘Parabens Are Harmful’
Parabens are a preservative added to cosmetics that help in retaining the usability of products and prevent ingredients from becoming ineffective and denatured. Sounds harmless, right? Because it is. A few years ago, incorrect research results about the use of parabens came out on the media, and consumers ended up avoiding any product with ‘paraben’ on the label as if it were the plague.
It is true that when parabens are added in large amounts, they can irritate the skin, but this occurs very rarely since there are strict guidelines as to how much cosmetic companies can add to products. To date, no research confirms a link between the use of parabens and the development of certain health conditions.
Now that we’ve busted some of the biggest skincare myths and revealed so-called skincare tips that actually harm your skin, it’s time to reorganize your routine. Stick to thoroughly-developed formulas, such as the ones for ViolaSkin’s products, and only use the essentials consistently to get result.